Boosting Confidence as a Business Owne

Hey guys! We know our audience is made up of photographers & business professionals of ALL skill levels… this blog speaks primarily to those of you who haven’t yet quit your day job to become a full time professional photographer. What’s holding you back? We are hoping this quick blog can give you a few strategies to boost your confidence as a business owner & help you on your path to becoming full time! Here are some things to consider.

Comparison is the thief of joy. If you set out to do exactly what someone else is doing, you will always be comparing yourself to them. You’ll compare your work, your gear, your social media game, your income. Heck, you’ll probably even compare your wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong, emulating successful business owners is a great strategy… to a point. You’ll soon start to feel discouraged that you aren’t “as good as” this person you’re looking up to. Here’s the thing… you will never be as good as this person if you don’t break out & choose your own path. You are not that person. Your business does not have to look exactly like that person. Carve your own way in this business & don’t be afraid to try something nobody else seems to be doing… in fact, that’s probably the BEST way to stand out in the industry!

Fake it till you make it? I have a love/hate relationship with this saying. Bottom line is, if you’re charging clients for photography, you dang well better be good at what you do. If you’re presenting yourself as a professional, you need to be proficient in lighting, posing, location-selection, camera settings, etc. So you don’t really want to “fake” it here. However, if you are proficient at all that stuff but you’re lacking confidence… fake the crap out of it! Fake that confidence long enough, and you’ll find that you’re actually developing some. Are you a quiet person who has trouble meeting new people? Be loud & bubbly & introduce yourself boldly to your new client when you arrive at your consultation or your shoot. If you develop a confident persona, your client will be relaxed, trust you more, & have a better feeling about their shoot!

Research business ownership & do everything by the book. One thing I think holds a lot of people back from becoming full time photographers is the daunting task of creating a legitimate business. I get it, it seems scary! But if you take 15-20 minutes a day to read blogs, listen to podcasts (cough cough PhotoSpark cough cough), & ask questions in forums, I guarantee it won’t take that long to figure out everything you need to do to become a legitimate business. The more legit you are by having proper licensing, permits, etc, the more confident you’ll be as a business owner. You won’t be looking over your shoulder waiting for someone to audit you for something you aren’t supposed to be doing.

There are more ways to boost confidence as a business owner, of course. We hope this gets you off to a good start!